In an enlightening episode, I engaged in riveting discussions with Jay Watts, founder and president of Merely Human Ministries. Notorious for his energetic delivery, Jay shared personal experiences from his journey, transitioning from a self-proclaimed atheist to being a profound believer. He touched on his struggles growing up amidst broken family ties and dealing with the consequences of nihilism, and his transformative discovery of objective morals. The discussion further ventured onto profound societal trends—especially tribalism and secularism.
Our conversations also wound its way through poignant existential questions of morality, good versus evil, and God’s existence. These were examined against a background of philosophical thoughts, with Nietzsche’s ‘ubermensch’ theory and Dostoevsky’s depiction of existentialism being particularly noteworthy. Our discussion finally rested upon exploring the Christian worldview’s explanation of evil existence and the persistent human longing for justice.
In the second part of the ”Are you sure you know whats that verse means?” series, Nick Shalna presents a prominent ancient Jewish view of God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 15. What does it mean to be made ”as” the stars in heaven? Is this simply quantitative and a reference to numerical value, or is there something more? How should we understand being made ”heirs of the cosmos”?
Most recent episode on Babel:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/14774037-what-definitely-didn-t-happen-at-babel-response-to-kristi-burke-series-pt-1
How Were Stars Viewed in the Bible?
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/14595788-were-stars-viewed-as-angels-in-the-bible
This episode is based on a series which is based on a series of Michael Heiser by David Burnett:
https://drmsh.com/category/biblical-theology-doctrine/theosis-1/
Season 3 Episode 3
This episode starts out with a discussion of the diabolical behavior of roosters as highlighted in an old Scientific American article. Segment two disucsses Herman Melville, his posthumously published book Billy Budd the Sailor, and the attraction of art produced by people in spiritual crisis or flux. Segment three focuses on Vice-President Kamala Harris visiting an abortion facility, and asks the question, “If abortion is so great, why didn’t we get a complete tour of the facility and see it in all of its glory?”
The final segment addresses a family of arguments by those who support abortion. The idea that as the unborn age through the embryonic and fetal stages they progress toward full membership in the human family through the acquisition of multiple new capacities. There is no one single ability or capacity that is value giving, rather there is a constellation which cumulatively change the nature of unborn life to something fully human. To give the discussion focus and structure, we rely on highlights from Christopher Kaczor’s responses in his book The Ethics of Abortion.
Johnnie-Ann Campbell joins LAB the Podcast to talk about nurturing beauty, goodness and truth through Christ-Centered Classical education. Join us for a great conversation on education and to learn more about Westminster Academy in Tampa, Florida.
Honest questions deserve honest answers. No matter how long it takes, we want you to discover what is true, good, and beautiful.